Qadar Brings Tranquillity: How Belief in Qadar Bears Fruit in Peace of Mind and Action
After reflecting on the reality of qadar, Allah’s wisdom, good and evil, and guidance and misguidance, one practical question remains.
What effect does belief in qadar have on our daily lives?
Belief in qadar has practical fruits, which show in the believer’s behaviour.
The First Fruit: Tranquillity
Whoever believes that everything happens by Allah’s decree, his heart finds peace.
No disaster strikes except by Allah’s permission. And whoever believes in Allah, He guides his heart.
Sūrat al-Taghābun: 11
He knows that what befell him was never going to miss him. And what missed him was never going to befall him.
So he receives blessings with gratitude, and faces disasters with patience. Without panic, and without anxiety.
The Second Fruit: Courage
Belief in qadar gives courage.
The believer knows that lifespans are in Allah’s hands. And that provision is already written.
So he is not afraid to stand up for the truth out of fear of losing his provision or of his death coming closer.
This does not mean recklessness. It means going forward in doing good, while taking the means.
The Third Fruit: Balance Between Action and Trust in Allah
Belief in qadar does not mean giving up action. It combines two things.
Taking the means and working hard. Together with trusting in Allah and having confidence in His decree.
The believer works hard, then entrusts the result to Allah.
When the Prophet ﷺ was asked: Should we rely on Allah and give up action? He did not approve of that. He directed them to action together with trust in Allah: “Tie it, and trust in Allah.”
Tie the camel (take the means), then trust in Allah. This is the right balance.
The Fourth Fruit: Freedom from Envy and Anxiety
Whoever believes that provisions are divided with wisdom is freed from envy.
He does not envy others for a blessing. Because he knows that Allah has divided provisions by His knowledge and wisdom.
And he is freed from anxiety about the future. Because he knows that what has been decreed for him will come to him.
So he lives in ease, with trust in his Lord.
The Fifth Fruit: Contentment
The greatest fruit of belief in qadar is contentment.
Contentment with what Allah has allotted. And contentment with how He manages affairs.
This contentment gives real happiness. It is not greatly shaken by life’s ups and downs.
The one who is content with Allah’s decree has a heart at rest. However much his circumstances change.
A Final Word
Belief in qadar is rest for the heart. It frees you from anxiety, fear, and envy. And it gives you tranquillity, courage, and contentment.
Whoever understands qadar correctly lives in peace. Working hard, striving, and relying on his Lord.
He takes the means, and he is content with the results. And he knows that behind everything that happens, there is wisdom and wise planning from a Merciful Lord.